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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619253">All about balance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra'>asamandra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Don't copy to another site, M/M, Prompt Fill, The Old Guard Kinkmeme, and he's vengeful, merrick is a bastard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:00:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,993</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28619253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Anger welled up in him and he hit the washbasin. This bastard should pay for hurting him. Stabbing him wasn’t enough, that was something that healed and was forgotten. No, he needed to be punished, he needed to…<br/>An evil smirk appeared on Steven’s lips. Oh yes, now he knew how he would make him pay.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Keane/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Nicky | Nicolo di Genova/OMC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><a href="https://theoldguardkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/953.html?thread=32953#cmt32953">This</a> prompt from "The Old Guard Kinkmeme":</p><p>Nicky/Others, Non-con</p><p>Merrick wants to make Joe pay for headbutting him, and stabbing him just wasn't enough. So he makes Joe watch as Keane and his team rape Nicky.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Let’s get off on the right foot, shall we? I’m Steven Merrick, youngest CEO in pharma,” the man said, a complacent smile on his lips. “Our work here is all about balance. How do we push the scientific frontier whilst also turning a little profit.”</p><p>Joe cocked his head slightly, glared at him… then just headbutted him. </p><p>“There’s your balance, asshole,” he hissed when Merrick stumbled back, only stopped by his desk. One of the men holding him kicked him in the stomach while the guy who had kidnapped him and Nicky held a gun in his face. Joe doubled over and the guy went to his boss. </p><p>“Watch it,” he said a moment later when he turned to him again and Merrick just seemed to continue talking. </p><p>“Mr. Copley has provided me with footage of your unique talent, but I prefer my evidence to be indisputable.” </p><p>And with that he started to stab Joe with a paper knife. Nicky shouted, the guards around them shouted and Joe groaned in pain. Nicky struggled against the guards who held him and he could hear they had problems with holding him. </p><p>“Mr. Merrick,” Copley said and eventually Merrick stopped. </p><p>“God dammit,” Joe moaned. “Ugh. Shit!” </p><p>“What do you see?” Merrick asked someone and Joe heard the woman breathing heavily. </p><p>“The Nobel prize,” she said with a tiny chuckle. </p><p>“And a fair few quid to boot,” Merrick added. </p><p>The guards grabbed both, him and Nicky, and forced them up on their knees.</p><p>“We brought a cancer drug on the market last quarter,” Merrick continued conversationally. “It’s already saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Yet, in development, it killed a quarter of a million lab mice. Now, I didn’t ask for their little permissions. I’m not gonna ask for yours.” </p><p>Joe didn’t move his eyes away from him and he could see out of the corner of his eyes that Nicky glared at him, too. </p><p>“He thinks you’re a mouse, Nicky,” he said and for a moment Nicky actually looked at him. </p><p>“There’s a genetic code inside you,” Merrick said now, “which could help every human being on Earth. We’re morally obliged to take it.”</p><p>“What?” Joe asked. He was sure he misheard him. </p><p>But when the woman came to them with syringes in her hand they started to struggle again.</p><p>“What is that? Wait!” Joe called before electricity surged through his body. </p><p>“Hey!” Nicky yelled beside him and then he groaned, too. “No!” he pleaded and Joe wanted nothing more than to get up and help him because he knew how much Nicky hated needles. But he got stabbed in his neck and only a moment later everything went dark.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>No one would ever say Steven Merrick was a nice man. Because he wasn’t. You can’t become the youngest CEO in pharma if you are a nice man and Steven had learned to hit back before his opponents could even land their first blow.<p>And then this guy, this freak of nature, this… this bastard had the cheek to headbut him. <i>Him</i>. </p><p>He stood in his bathroom and looked into the mirror, glared at his image. The spot where the freak had hit his head started to turn purple and everyone would see this huge ass bruise on his forehead. </p><p>Carefully Steven touched the area and it hurt. He hissed and glared even more at his image. </p><p>“Damn bastard,” he muttered under his breath. He would have to call his assistant to buy him concealer cream. He couldn’t stand in a meeting with a purple bruise on his damn forehead, for everyone to see.</p><p>Anger welled up in him and he hit the washbasin. This bastard should pay for hurting him. Stabbing him wasn’t enough, that was something that healed and was forgotten. No, he needed to be punished, he needed to…</p><p>An evil smirk appeared on Steven’s lips. Oh yes, Copley had told him the two guys in the lab were lovers. Now he knew how he would make him pay. Something, he wouldn’t forget as long as he lived. </p><p>He took his phone and dialed.</p><p>“Keane?” he said as soon as he heard the other man’s voice. “I need you and a few of your men in the lab.” </p><p>And then he explained to him what he had in his mind.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>“Dr. Kozak,” Steven smiled when he saw the older woman in her lab. She just prepared the instruments she would need for her examinations. But when she heard him she looked up and frowned the moment she spotted Keane and four of his men behind him.<p>“Mr. Merrick, what…” she started but Steven interrupted her with a raised hand. </p><p>“I need you to take a break,” he said. Keane and his men filed in and she scrutinized all of them. </p><p>“But I just wanted to start and…” </p><p>“Please,” he said. “I insist.” </p><p>“And what about them?” she nodded at the two prisoners, still out cold and tied to hospital beds. </p><p>“I promise, you will get them back unharmed and in one piece,” he said and his smile broadened a bit. She could see his crooked teeth and it gave her a chill. </p><p>“Of course, sir,” she eventually said and removed her lab coat. She took her handbag and left the lab, even if she had a very bad feeling. But Merrick was her boss and when he wanted her gone she would go.</p><p>“Tomorrow,” he said before she could close the door. “I don’t know how long we need so… you can start tomorrow.” </p><p>“Well,” she gave them a pained smile. “Tomorrow then.” </p><p>She left the lab and the door fell shut behind her. </p><p>Steven walked over to the two bound men. The Italian and the curly haired guy. Of course he knew their names but he refused to think about them as <i>people</i>, for him they were just lab rats, they were just the Italian and the curly haired guy. When he was closer he saw that the Italian was already awake. He looked at him and Steven felt a little disconcert. He had weird eyes, as if he could look in one's soul. </p><p>But Steven was no coward either, he went to him and cocked his head as if he would deliberate before he smiled and looked at the still unconscious man beside him. He would wake up soon, it was only a matter of moments. </p><p>And right on cue the curly haired guy came around, too. He yelped, tugged at the ties that held him on the hospital bed before he searched for the Italian. But his eyes stopped as soon as he spotted him, Steven. He could see the anger in his dark eyes and he pulled at the ties again but they were designed to hold stronger men than him.</p><p>“You shouldn’t have touched me,” he said and reached up to point at his own forehead and the man’s eyes followed his hand to the purple bruise he had there. “You’re going to pay for that. Or better…” Steven stopped and looked at he Italian beside him. “... he will.” </p><p>“No!” the dark haired guy snarled. “Don’t you dare touch him!” </p><p>“Oh, I won’t,” Steven smirked. “They will.” </p><p>He nodded with his head at the men behind him. </p><p>“No!” the guy called out. “No! You can’t do that!” </p><p>“I can,” Steven smirked evilly. “Mr. Keane, if you could gag him please?” </p><p>Keane found some pieces of cloth and pressed them into his mouth and tied them behind his head. The man still continued to yell but now it was muffled and Steven went back to sit down on one of the chairs. </p><p>“He’s all yours,” he grinned at the other men and gestured at the Italian. This man was still quiet, he just gritted his teeth and seemed to prepare himself inwardly. He said something to the other man Steven couldn't understand. It wasn’t a language he had ever heard before and somehow he doubted people around here nowadays had.  </p><p>Keane and his men went to the Italian. It took them only a moment to undo the ties, wrestle him around and press him down onto the hospital bed again, this time face down. He was still a little banged up from being tazed and drugged up earlier. They retied him and Keane swatted his ass when he tried to kick out. But he ordered one of his men to hold the Italian’s legs while he opened his jeans and pulled it down. </p><p>The curly haired guy on the other bed trashed in his ties, and yelled in his gag but the Italian just glared at Steven. He gritted his teeth when they removed his jeans and tied his legs to the legs of the hospital bed, spread open and vulnerable. </p><p>Steven started to grin again. This would teach them a lesson. Both of them. </p><p>Keane stepped behind the Italian now, opened his own pants and looked at the curly haired guy. He started to smirk while he ran his hand along his half hard dick a few times till he was hard enough. Then he lined up, grabbed the man’s hips and breached him. </p><p>Steven could see that he tried to hold back the scream, but he was sure it had to hurt like hell. He clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut while the curly haired guy still yelled in his gag. Keane moved his hips, fucked him hard and fast and the Italian moaned in pain. Steven had to admit he enjoyed the sounds he made. </p><p>The curly haired guy trashed on his bed, he tore at his cuffs and his wrists started to bleed but they didn’t give in. Slowly he walked over to the man, stood beside him and looked over his shoulder. He could see the Italian’s face, contorted with pain. </p><p>“Do you like it?” Steven leaned down and whispered in the curly haired man’s ear. He screamed in his gag again. “Maybe I’ll let them have him again, when the examinations are over.” </p><p>The man’s head whirled around and he stared at him disbelievingly… and terrified. </p><p>“Look how he likes it,” Steven taunted him and he chuckled. But when the Italian groaned again the curly haired guy turned back to him and mumbed in his gag. It made no sense to Steven. </p><p>Keane sighed and threw his head back while the Italian squeezed his eyes shut again. Maybe that was a way to make him stop looking at him so… weirdly, he thought. That… or cutting out his weird eyes. </p><p>Keane stopped and stepped back, slapped the Italian’s ass and grinned at one of his men while he tucked his cock away. The next man went to the Italian, opened his zipper and took his dick in his hand. He stroked it and then took Keane’s place. He groaned obscenely and fucked into the Italian’s body vigorously but the man still didn’t scream. Sure, he couldn’t hold back pained moans but he didn’t scream. </p><p>Steven went back to his place at Kozak’s desk, sat down at her chair and watched his men violating the Italian while the curly haired guy screamed and cursed and tore at his cuffs. When all of them were done Keane went to the Italian and took another turn and this time he reached around him and made him cum, too. </p><p>He still didn’t scream… but Steven could see tears running along his face and this was almost as good. The curly haired guy talked into his gag, still not understandable but Steven didn’t know what he said, the way he did was more telling than the actual words. He tried to talk him through the ordeal, Steven was sure of it. </p><p>When Keane had tucked himself away again and came to him, Steven nodded and smiled. </p><p>“Good job, Mr. Keane. Now secure him again.” </p><p>He waited till the men had untied the Italian, had thrown him back onto the hospital bed and retied him again before he sent them out of the room. Only Keane stayed back and Steven walked over to the curly haired guy. He smiled at him.</p><p>“There’s your balance, asshole,” he said and patted his cheek. He didn’t care that the guy screamed and yelled again, he just turned and together with Keane he left the room. </p><p>“Tell Dr. Kozak she can start with them,” he said. “And make sure Copley acquires the other two as fast as possible. The sooner we get results, the sooner you and your men will get their bonus.” </p><p>“Thank you, Mr. Merrick,” Keane said and - whistling happily - Steven went to his office. He had a pharma company to run.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You selfish piece of shit!” Joe yelled, fighting against the ties that held him to the damn hospital bed. Nicky turned to him a tiny bit. </p><p>“Joe, leave it. Please,” he said. Andy just stared at the ceiling. </p><p>Booker, the damn traitor, made a deal with Merrick, had told them where they were, had helped them to capture him and Nicky and he had shot Andy. </p><p>Andy had lost her immortality and Nicky… he still saw Nicky’s pained expression when Merrick’s men had raped him, could hear his groans and the slapping of flesh on flesh while they… </p><p>And Andy was dying! She was dying. </p><p>“What do you know of the weight of all these years alone,” Booker had the audacity to throw back at him.</p><p>“You’re a very pathetic man, Booker,” Joe laughs bitterly. </p><p>“Joe, stop,” Nicky says. Andy still lay just there and stared at the ceiling. As if she didn’t hear them, couldn’t hear them. </p><p>“You and Nicky always had each other, right?” Booker said. “And all we had was our grief.” </p><p>“Well, now you have even more,” Joe said, the sarcasm in his voice almost palpable. </p><p>But when they heard gunshots, Andy actually moved.  She looked at the door and the Doctor rose. She was confused and a bit scared, too. She deserved to be scared. </p><p>The door went open and it was Nile! Nile had found them. </p><p>The damn doctor regained her composure faster than expected and when Nile got hit by a few bullets from Merrick’s guards she reached for a syringe and wanted to stab Nile with it. </p><p>“Nile!” Nicky yelled and Nile was fast. She clocked the doctor and the woman fell down, unconscious. </p><p>“There are four shooters at the door and more coming,” she said on her way to Andy. She undid one of her cuffs but Andy just looked at her and didn’t move. </p><p>“Andy,” she said and pressed a gun in Andy’s hand. But Andy refused to take it. Nile gave it to her again. “Immortal or not, you made a promise. Whatever it takes.” </p><p>She stepped back a bit and reached for another gun. </p><p>“I’ve seen it, Andy,” she said and chambered a round, “I know all the good you’ve done.” </p><p>That moment the door went open, Nile whirled around and without blinking the two women shot the guards coming in. And finally Andy freed her other hand, rose and went to Nicky. </p><p>Booker said they should just leave him behind but Nile told him matter of factly that they wouldn’t do that even if Joe angrily said there was a first time for everything. </p><p>Andy told him to stop and Joe rose, too. Nicky, who was already dressed, took a gun from one of the dead guards on the ground and Joe saw his shirt lying on a counter. He put it on while Andy told Booker to get his shit together and help them escape. Booker rose and Joe had to suppress the urge to clock him immediately. </p><p>Together, like a unit, they walked out of the lab… and then the shooting began. </p><p>One of them was always close to Andy to cover her if necessary and all of them took bullets meant for her now.. Joe didn’t hesitate to shoot these guys. They wore masks and every single one of them could’ve been one of the guys who had hurt Nicky. He wanted to kill them slowly and painfully but there wasn’t the time for that. </p><p>And then the wall exploded. Both, he and Andy were blown away and Joe lost consciousness. When he woke there was dust everywhere. Nile, Booker and Andy were gone but Nicky was here. Nicky was fighting against the guy, Keane. The guy who had hurt him. </p><p>But Nicky was also still affected by the aftereffects of the explosion and Keane just kicked him in the stomach. Joe managed to get to his feet, to land a blow but Keane kicked him away, kicked Nicky and then he pulled out a gun and shot Nicky in the mouth. </p><p>Joe crawled over to him. Nicky was dead. <i>Please, god, please let him come back! Please let him come back!</i> he pleaded silently and reached out for the man he loved. </p><p>And with a cough and a gasp Nicky came back. Joe had to touch him, had to make sure it was true and he was with him. </p><p>“Let’s go. Andy,” Nicky said and reached for the gun he had dropped when the wall exploded. Joe saw a rifle and took it. </p><p>“Come on, come on, come on,” he said. They heard gunshots in the distance and went over only to see Andy fight against a soldier on some sort of bridge. It was always beautiful to see her fight and even if she was injured she was the most lethal person on this rotten planet. </p><p>Booker and Nile came from the other direction and Andy just asked the guy on the ground where Merrick was. He seemed to deliberate but after a glance at all of them he told them that he hid in his penthouse. </p><p><i>Damn coward!</i> Joe thought. But they all looked at their surroundings. </p><p>“What do you think? Oslo, ‘67?” he asked but Andy shook her head. </p><p>“São Paulo, ‘34,” she said. “Nile’s with me.” </p><p>“What happened in São Paulo in 1934?” Nile wanted to know but Andy just smiled at her. </p><p>“1834,” she said. “You’ll see.” </p><p>Joe knew, if Nile was with Andy and he was supposed to go onto the roof, that would leave Nicky together with Booker and he hated it. He definitely hated it but right now they had to get Merrick. For a moment Nicky nodded at him. </p><p><i>It’s all right!</i> His glance said and Joe nodded back and went in position. He found some rope and attached it to the ugly logo on top of the building. The other should be in position by now, too, and so he took a breath, held his rifle, ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. For a moment he could see Keane and his men stare at the door, clearly waiting for them. And then he crashed through the window, rolled over his shoulder while Keane cursed and whirled around. He started to shoot but had to get behind a counter when they all turned to him now. </p><p>The door was blown open, shots rang and the guards turned away but Keane was still close. And Joe only had eyes for him. He kicked him and this time he wasn’t only half conscious. He put all his hate, all his anger, all his fury into the blows and when he started to sway he grabbed his vest. </p><p>“You touched Nicky?” he said and saw the fear in the man’s eyes. Joe liked that fear. “You shouldn’t’ve done that.” </p><p>He grabbed Keane, whirled around and threw him over his shoulder onto the ground. He could hear his neck break and Keane was dead. One gone, one left. Now he had to find Merrick! He sat on his knees and breathed, somewhere he heard guns clattering to the ground but he just breathed. </p><p>But then he heard Nicky’s voice. </p><p>“The elevator is going down!” He looked up. “Merrick is getting away!” </p><p>He rose and ran over to him.</p><p>“Go!” Nile said and he did. </p><p>Together with Booker and Nicky he ran down the stairs. No one spoke a word but they just hastened down. Joe wanted to get Merrick, he wanted to hurt him, he wanted to hurt him so, so bad. But just the moment Booker tore open the door that led out onto the street they heard something crashing. There was a car in front of the building and now they saw shards on the street and the car was… destroyed. </p><p>Nicky was the first one who moved. </p><p>“Nile?” he said and Joe paled. Oh god, someone threw Nile out of the window and Andy… Andy was alone and vulnerable and maybe dead already. But when he looked into the car, too, he saw Merrick lying under her. He was dead. Once and for all. Andy’s labrys stuck in his neck. </p><p>“Hey,” Booker said and Nile started to move, she groaned and her bones started to crack. Nicky sighed audibly. </p><p>“She’s okay,” he said. Together with Booker he tore open the damaged door. </p><p>“Come on,” Booker said and helped her get out of the car. </p><p>“Faster than the elevator,” Joe just said and looked up. Andy was up there and she was unharmed. Thank god! </p><p>“It’s okay, Nile,” Nicky just said and it amazed Joe once again. After all this man just had to endure, he still always cared about other people first and a warmth started to bloom in Joe’s heart. </p><p>Booker and Nicky helped Nile and Joe reached in to get Andy’s labrys. He looked at the remains of Merrick again. </p><p>“That’s it,” he spat. “There’s your balance, asshole!” </p><p>Nicky put his hand on Joe’s arm and squeezed it slightly. </p><p>“Come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s go.” </p><p>He turned back and Andy just left the building. She went to Nile and put her hand on the back of her neck for a moment before they all limped to the car Copley had left for them.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>***</p>
</div>Booker was gone. Banished for hundred years. They had talked to Copley, had told him that he had to help them now and Copley agreed without hesitation. They had seen his collection of pictures and articles and for the first time really realized how they had influenced the world.<p>Nile and Andy were gone, too. They said they would meet the two of them in a few weeks in Santorini. </p><p>And Joe and Nicky were alone in their safe house. </p><p>Nicky sat on his bed. His head hung on his chest and he seemed to look at his hands. </p><p>“I can understand it,” he suddenly said and Joe looked up from the computer Copley had given him. He searched for a place to lie low till they would meet Andy and Nile again. </p><p>“Huh?” he asked.</p><p>“Booker,” Nicky said. “I can understand him.”</p><p>“Nicky, he…” </p><p>“He’s lonely,” Nicky said and looked at him now. “He’s been with us the whole time and yet he was lonely beyond belief. We failed him, Joe.” </p><p>“Nicky, no. He’s…”</p><p>“We failed him,” Nicky said again, more emphatic now. </p><p>“Nicky,” Joe said and went over to him. He sat down beside him and reached for his hand. “These men hurt you. They hurt you in the worst way possible.” </p><p>“It’s not the first time and you know it,” Nicky said and looked at him. “I will survive,” he added with a sad smile. “But I don’t know if he… if he will survive.” </p><p>“Oh, Nicky,” Joe said and put his arm around the other man’s shoulder. Nicky let his head drop against his shoulder. </p><p>“He did it because he was lonely and we took everything he had left away now.” </p><p>Joe kissed his temple. </p><p>“This world doesn’t deserve you,” he said. Nicky squeezed his hand. </p><p>“When we meet with Andy and Nile, we will talk again, okay?” </p><p>“Okay,” Nicky said and nodded. Joe caressed his shoulder. </p><p>“Balance, huh?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="http://asamandra.tumblr.com/">asamandra on tumblr</a>
  <br/>
  <a href="https://clintbartonruinedmylife.tumblr.com/">clintbartonruinedmylife on tumblr</a>
  <br/>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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